GLOUCESTERSHIRE will be hosting the second match in the 2015 Women’s Ashes Series as England take on Australia at the Bristol County Ground.

Having hosted international cricket at the Bristol County Ground since 1999, the Royal London One-Day International (ODI) on Thursday, July 23, 2015 will be the first time Gloucestershire have had an opportunity to showcase a women’s 50-over match.

England will be hoping to emulate their performances from the first two multi-format Women’s Ashes contests and retain the Ashes, having won 12 points to four on home soil in 2013 and ten points to eight Down Under at the start of this year.

Gloucestershire chief executive Will Brown added: “We are very excited and honoured to be hosting the second Royal London Women’s Ashes ODI here at the Bristol County Ground next summer.

"This fits perfectly with our ambition to bring more world class cricket to Bristol and we can’t wait to be part of the Women’s Ashes Summer and to celebrate some great cricket with players and fans alike.”

The 2015 Series will be the third time that the Women’s Ashes have been contested across all three formats of the game – one Test match, three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals – and following a review of the first two encounters by the ECB and Cricket Australia, the number of points awarded for winning the Test match will be reduced from six to four. Two points will still be awarded to each side in the event of a drawn Test, and the ODIs and T20Is will still be worth two points each for a win.

England Women's captain, Charlotte Edwards, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the second Royal London Women’s Ashes ODI will be played at the Bristol County Ground on 23 July.

"It is always good to play at new venues and spread the Women’s International game across the country, so I’m already really looking forward to heading to Bristol and playing in front of a passionate local crowd next summer.”

It’s been an exciting year for Edwards’ side, which has culminated in the women’s team being shortlisted for the Team of the Year in the 2014 Sunday Times and Sky Sports Sportswomen of the Year Awards.

The success of the team was such that captain Edwards was also nominated for the coveted 2014 ICC People’s Choice Award, becoming the first female cricketer to be shortlisted to receive the honour.